,WITH JOHN MURPHY, VICE PRESIDENT OF TALENT
ACQUISITION, ASPEN DENTAL, ,Q: What are some of the challenges dentists face after dental school?, ,A: When young dentists are starting out, there are several challenges they face: Student debt, lack of experience in case presentation, and learning the business of dentistry. They may not have the experience when it comes to presenting a diagnosis and recommended treatment plan to a patient. Many still pursue the traditional model of owning their own practice, but they don’t always know the business of dentistry because that is not part of the curriculum in many dental schools. They may find it challenging to focus on providing the best dental care while also managing all aspects of the business. What we offer is support in all of these areas of the business—from navigating student loan repayment, to administrative support and the latest in dental technologies, to a strong program for clinical development—with mentors and peer-topeer interaction with 1,500 other doctors in the network who they can talk to about their experiences. We offer unmatched support from a clinical perspective as well as leadership development, ,Q: How does Aspen Dental help create access to care?, ,A: Our mission has always been to break down the barriers to provide better access to dental care. For patients, that means having state-of-the-art dental care in an area that is convenient to them. For providers, there may be less competition and lower overhead costs. For new dentists who want to run a successful practice and establish a career, it’s critical to understand where to locate their businesses, what services they’re able to deliver, and who they’re delivering care to. We answer those questions and dozens of others so we can set them up for success. We set up in highly visible locations and we help the patient with financial access, offering various options to pay for the care they need. Because we work with so many carriers, nobody needs to go someplace else to find a doctor who accepts their insurance. They can come to an Aspen Dental office, and the team there will work with them to understand what out-of-pocket costs they might have and how to afford those costs. All those things work in harmony to create access to care., , ,Q:How does Aspen stand apart from other large networks?, ,A: As a dental support organization, we provide the business, administrative, and professional support to the providers, so they can focus on providing the best clinical care possible to more people. Each Aspen Dental office is independently owned by a state-licensed dentist, and they benefit from the economies of scale that come along with being part of the largest branded network of dental offices in the nation. But at the end of the day, each dentist comes to work for themself, and it’s a personal experience— it’s all about what you offer, your beliefs, your philosophies, and how you empower your own team, in your own practice., ,
